For the first time in 25 years, Purim was extended to four days, starting on Thursday 13 March and ending on Sunday 16 March.
Purim is a holiday that celebrates the story of the book of Esther, where the Jewish people in the Persian empire were saved from a court official’s plot to kill all the Jews in a single day by Queen Esther’s bravery – who, as a member of the Jewish faith, would have also been killed.
Usually, it lasts one day – beginning on the evening of the 14th day of Adar (the last month in the Jewish calendar) and ending on the following evening. As Purim fell on Shabbat this year, it was extended to Sunday, which was the 16th day of Adar.
More than 40,000 members of the Jewish community marked the occasion by eating meals together, reading the Megillah (book of Esther) and dressing up as animals and biblical characters. There was also a strong emphasis on giving charity.
‘One person can make a difference. That person can be a pauper in sackcloth or a member of the royal household. Everyone has a duty to make a difference; everyone has the ability to make a difference’
Rabbi Herschel Gluck, president of the Shomrim, a neighbourhood watch group, in Stamford Hill, said: “People give to individuals or families who are needy… we give gifts of food and drink to people who are celebrating because it is about helping them feel part of it.”
Rabbi Gluck said the story of Esther, which is set nearly 2,500 years ago, continues to have a message that is relevant to the world we live in today.
“One person can make a difference. That person can be a pauper in sackcloth or a member of the royal household. Everyone has a duty to make a difference; everyone has the ability to make a difference,” he added.
Sarah Smith is a postgraduate Newspaper Journalism student at City St George's, University of London. She is currently reporting on the Springfield ward in Hackney. She has experience writing for the Climate, Books, Lifestyle and News sections of The Boar, and she has also done work experience at Essex Live. In her spare time, she likes to watch Disney films and spend time with friends.